MAY 2026 NEW ON NAXOS
Igor STRAVINSKY (1882–1971) Fairy Tales Song of the Nightingale The Faun and the Shepherdess * Divertimento • Pulcinella Suite
Susan Platts, Mezzo-soprano * Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra JoAnn Falletta
Igor Stravinsky is renowned for his legacy of glittering fairy tales in treasured favourites such as Petrushka and The Firebird . Another favourite is the ballet Pulcinella , a lovable melange of Baroque theatricality, heard here in its concert suite form. The other works in this programme are surprisingly less known: the luminous and symphonic Song of the Nightingale , and The Fairy’s Kiss based on Tchaikovsky’s music, are both derived from stories by Hans Christian Andersen. An astonishing rarity, The Faun and the Shepherdess is an ancient Greek tale that was Stravinsky’s romantically sensual gift to his young bride. Key features: • JoAnn Falletta is the music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra , and this partnership has resulted in a cornucopia of highly successful and much-admired Naxos recordings. Russian music is very much a part of their repertoire, with ‘Alexander Scriabin’s Second Symphony [8.574139]... becoming a swift exciting ride in a motor boat, skipping the waves with effortless delicacy’ ( Fanfare ), and Glière’s Third Symphony (8.573161 / NBD0041): ‘JoAnn Falletta is a keen admirer and has an excellent ear not merely for clarifying and controlling the orchestral sumptuousness but for articulating the events dramatically. Her forces cast themselves into the fray with enthusiasm and virtuosity, and the recording engineers rise to some quite demanding occasions’ ( Gramophone ). •
8.574735
Playing time: 79:20 Release date: 22 May 2026
7 47313 47357 1
Listen to an excerpt from Pulcinella Suite: IIIa. Scherzino: b. Allegro – c. Andantino LISTEN
Mezzo-soprano Susan Platts is internationally recognised for her richly expressive voice and commanding musical presence. A former protégé of Jessye Norman, she worked closely with the legendary soprano for over a decade, which profoundly shaped her artistry. Platts is particularly acclaimed for her interpretations of
Tracklist
1 – 4 Chant du Rossignol
(‘Song of the Nightingale’) (1917, after the opera The Nightingale [1914])
Gustav Mahler’s works, including more than 90 performances of his second symphony as well as numerous performances of his third and eighth symphonies, Das Lied von der Erde , Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen , Rückert-Lieder and Kindertotenlieder , with major orchestras across Europe, North America and Asia.
5 – 7 Favn i Pastushka, Op. 2
(‘The Faun and the Shepherdess’) (1906) Text: Alexander Pushkin (1799–1837) 8 – ! Divertimento (1934, arranged from the ballet Le Baiser de la fée [1928]) ! – ) Pulcinella Suite (1922, rev. 1949)
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra
4
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